Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-07-09

No. Of New York Divers Tells q Re
porter q Weird Tale,

MAPPING UNDER WATER.
No. OF New York Divers Tells q Re
porter q Weird Tale.
ibid ever see dead man sitting In chair in
state room and bending over book as though he
had been reading when he was drowned?" repeated
an old diver to a New York Mail and Express re-
porter. ''Never, nor has any other diver"
"Then the tales one hears about such matters
are little oN?-
They're simply lies. There's more lying about
diving than about any other occupation"
"Gfve me straight story"
swell, to begin with, I'll dispose OF that yarn
about corpses being found sitting In chairs in the
state rooms Of sunken steamers. I've been in
sunker steamers that were full Of corpses. There
was, for instance, the Hamburg steamer Cimbria,
which went down in the North Sea some five
years ago, with five hundred emigrants 1 and
two other divers from here who were sent for to
help In getting out the cargo literally worked
lined with them"
''The ceilings?'
feels for them along the ceilings If the wreck is
only day or two after r. She went down he feels
along both the floors and ceilings. That's where
the cOrpSeS are; not in chairs"
"Why did they send away over here for divers
to go down into the Cimbrta?"
"Because New York divers are on the top of the
heap. The reason is that most Of their work Is
done In the dark; tor it's pitch dark under the
count of the sewerage. A diver from other waters
can't work in those around New York; but a New
twice as fast as the local divers because his sense
OF touch-sense OF touch under water-is so finely
developed. We New York divers can tell various
metals, II they are under water, apart by sense OF
touch; but II they are not under water we can
feel no difference between them. Here, for in
Put them on the table and bIindfod me and can't
tell which is which. Chuck 'em in the basin and
pour water over them, and can tell the moment
Il hn ovnd
is the brass. You see, we New York divers have
to ply all kinds of trades in the dark"
''Then you have to be pretty handy?"
eyes, sir. II a green hand came to me and
wanted to learn the profession OF diving, the first
thing "a advise him would be to go to sea till he'd
learn the ms and outs of all kinds of vessels and
how to handle and store cargo. Then he's pretty
competent to work wrecks. Next I'd tell him to
learn ali kinds OF trades. For we don't consider
working wrecks fine line OF the profession, The
real fine work is when diver has to ply some
trade, such as carpentering and pipe laying,
the laying of the line OF pipe for the health de-
partrnent from Port Norris to North Brother
Island The diver had to keep the line straight,
unpack the pipe put it together, and, in fact do
ado you dive much for treasurer"
o. nnat Was g0 sRs
work on that wreck had to be done many feet
under the bed OF the river"
Fright where she went DOWN"
fright were she went down over 100 years
ago. A wreck remains just on the same spot
where first she reaches bottom. AS years roll on
she WORKS down, down into the bed OF the river.
And so, where the Hussar sank SO long ago lies
her hulk. The diver got out the stern-post but
didn't find any treasure. don't believe that any
treasure will be found on the site of the wreck I
have heard that official documents in England
show that, after the Hussar struck, the treasure
shifting of some boxes OF the coin Opposite a
red house on Randalrs Island Some people
Ravs With vase DEAL that Captain kaa
down on Peeksktl, and not long ago O
syndicate employed a diver for two summers
haven't been long enough in the profession to be
constantly employed and have good deal OF time
on their hands, work old wrecks. For Instance:
Ihe Commodore, OH StOningtOn; the Isaac New
ton. off Fort Lee, and the Thomas Morgan OF
lOnkers, but there isn't fair days wages in such
JOBS sometimes, however, we hear OF old wrecks
that haven't been worked yet, and they are worth
looking after. Two years ago one Of us who was
building the foundation for pier of the bridge OF
SaybroOk heard that schooner loaded with coal
and copper had gone down there some thirty-five
ago. He placed the wreck and got out the cargo
which was still in prime condition. But there are
as many lies about old wrecks as there are about
cOrpeS. Whenever a sailor is thirsty, but hasn't
any money, he concOcts lie about a wreck and
comes to us with it. He almost always goes away
as thirsty as he Came"
''What does divers outfit consist or"
"a boat, pump, hose, lines and dress. The dresf
consists Of layers OF duck and rubber The shoes
weigh twenty pounds each. On hts chest and back
he carries fOrty-pOund weights. The helmet when
1t has been placed over the divers head is firmly
dress weighted line Is sunk to the spot he Is to
reach, and down that line he goes with the life
line around his waist, and the hose, through which
the air Is pumped, attached to his helmet. Those
who handle the lifeline and hose must regulate
those as he moves about below"
wages?"
'.Four hours and Sc. If he furnishes his own
apparatus his wages are higher-s35 to $50 a day.
For getting hawser out OF a steamers screw I'd
charge $50 If furnished my own apparatus.n
II suppose part OF the charge is Tor the risk you
rum"
ayes, diver is exposed to a good many dangers.
One OF them, you will be surprised to learn is
falling asleep. On hot day the contrast between
the heat above and the delicious GOODNESS below Is
apt to make a diver sleepy. l once slept an hour
and half at the bottom OF wreck near Kings
ton, where was laying pipe. Suppose that had
happened In the channel near Governors Island.
where the tide runs so swift that diver can work
only during the one hour OF slack waters II I'd
slept over that one hour the deadly rush OF the
tide would have snapped the life line and hose
Then in working wrecks there is the danger OF get
ting damned In between freight or OF getting the
hose or line tangled. When the hose snaps the
irightful pressure kills the diver. He is slcken-
1ngly distorted by It,"
care there many expert divers In New York?r
'LOOk!" He held out shield-shaped badge on
which was engraved ':New York Divers License,
+. c., No. l."
'What does r. G. stand for!n
"F1rst-claSs. There are only about q dozen OF
those badges out. I'm No. Roberts Russell or
Funeral Bob, as they call me. Among the Others
are a VIM. Carl, or Buffalo Bill; Jim Hicks, Jack
Paul, Bill Smith and Dan Joslin.
Funeral Bob once walked against time and
made miles In eight hours and thirty seven min
utes."
Beware OF Negroes With Blue Gums.
From the Mobile Register.
Another policeman this time Officer w. !. Yorke